Alex Hepburn Allowed to Play Cricket in Australia

Alex Hepburn, a former Worcestershire cricketer convicted of rape in 2019, has been allowed to play cricket in Western Australia despite a ten-year ban imposed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Hepburn, who was sentenced to five years in prison for his crime, was released in 2021 and has not played professionally since his arrest in 2017. The WA Cricket Association stated that the UK cricket regulatory bodies have no jurisdiction in Western Australia, and local eligibility decisions fall under the Western Australian District Cricket Council. Although Hepburn was charged with two breaches of ECB directives, the local council has permitted him to compete for the Willetton Dragons. Hepburn's case has raised concerns over player safety and the implications of allowing a convicted rapist to participate in sports. His former teammates were also implicated in the scandal but were not criminally charged.